"What?" Reagan frowned wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.
"I said my Mom has invited you to have dinner with us...tonight" Amy replied casually lifting herself off of Reagan's face.
Reagan shook her head in disbelief, "And you couldn't mention this later on, when you weren't literally sitting on my face?"
"I had to catch you while you were in a good mood, I didn't want to ambush you while you were leaving." Amy reasoned.
"Well, this feels more like an ambush than if you had told me later on to be honest." Reagan said before sucking on her wet thumb. "Shouldn't I meet your friends first?"
Amy pursed her lips. "No. It would actually be better for you to meet my parents first. My friends are lunatics."
"Okay, this is kind of weird, you hovering over me while we talk about this." Reagan slapped Amy's thighs a couple of times to hurry her along and Amy took the hint - reluctantly - opting to straddle Reagan's waist instead. Reagan sat up and Amy immediately tugged Reagan toward her sticking her tongue in her mouth. Reagan relinquished for a second before pulling back and reaching over for her pack of cigarettes.
"I feel like you're trying to butter me up." Reagan mumbled a hand on Amy's thigh, freshly lit cigarette dangling between her lips. "Are you?"
"I don't know what you're talking about." Amy said acting coy.
Reagan nodded knowingly, her face covered in a cloud of smoke. Amy loved seeing Reagan like this, on her bed, propped up on her elbows, dark hair messy, cigarette dangling from her mouth (not that she approved of smoking, but damn if Reagan didn't look hot doing it), body illuminated by the moon and street lights pouring in from outside the window. Amy's room would be filled with Reagan's scent for hours after she left and Amy couldn't get enough of it.
"I'm just saying, you lured me here under the pretence of hooking up. A booty call if you will."
"Come on Reagan, you're my girlfriend. This isn't a booty call. Plus we haven't seen each other in a week so I wanted to see you." Amy whined.
Reagan narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "You call me at 1am to come over and get you off. That is the definition of a booty call Amy."
"No, it's a girl calling her girlfriend to come over and make love." Amy teased.
Reagan cringed. "Ew." Amy watched as Reagan threw her head back and released lines of smoke through her nose. "Parents don't like me."
"They don't?" Amy asked in surprise.
"No. They just don't take to me for some reason." Reagan shrugged.
"Well my mom invited you over, she wants to know you. Just come. Please?" Amy pleaded.
"Okay but if your Mom stops us from seeing each other it will be your fault for forcing me to do this." Reagan warned.
"I accept full responsibility. My Mom will love you just as much as I do, I swear." Amy smiled.
"Don't get your hopes up." Reagan sighed. "Round 2?"
"You have to brush your teeth first." Amy pointed out.
Reagan reached for the beer on the nightstand and took a giant gulp swilling it around her mouth before dropping her cigarette butt into the can.
"Better?"
Amy leaned forward and pushed her tongue into Reagan's mouth before pulling away to assess. "Yeah that's good."
"Cool," Reagan managed to whisper before Amy's mouth was on hers again.
Karma caught up with Amy on the walk to school. She knew what time Amy left her house and used that to her advantage.
"Hey."
"Hi."
"What are you doing?"
"Err, walking to school. Aren't you?" Amy asked confused.
"Yeah, just trying to make small talk."
"Well you suck at it." Amy admitted.
"I know."
"So I was thinking that maybe after school we could do something? Maybe?" Karma asked cautiously.
"Can't. My mom invited Reagan round for dinner." Amy smiled to herself.
"Oh. That was quick." Karma said a bit more bitterly than she had intended.
"Not really. We have been dating like three months. Plus my mom is insisting on it. You know what she is like." Amy shrugged.
"Wow. Farrah actually invited her specifically. You didn't break her down?" Karma was starting to feel a little jealous, Farrah couldn't get past the fact that she and Amy were in a relationship - a fake one - but still. And now she was inviting Reagan who she had only known for five minutes?
"Nope. She has met her before. Briefly. I tried to pass her off as my Spanish tutor but that was a total fail. Anyway she just came up to me yesterday and told me to invite Reagan to dinner, no ifs or buts. Isn't that cool?" Amy asked turning her head to gauge Karma's reaction.
Karma forced a smile and fake enthusiasm. "That's great!"
Amy could tell that Karma wasn't quite as happy for her as she was making out, but she honestly couldn't find it in herself to care.
"Look I'm just saying it's a little soon don't you think?" Karma repeated.
"How is three months 'too soon'? Amy said annoyance very clear in her voice now.
"I'm just saying..."
"Stop with the fake concern Karma. It's embarrassing." Amy scoffed.
"I am concerned!" Karma screeched.
"There is literally nothing to be concerned about. It's just fucking dinner Karma. We aren't getting married." Amy stared off into the distance and sighed wistfully. "Not yet anyway."
"I just think you might be moving too fast." Karma shrugged.
"We're not," Amy replied defiantly spooning some strawberry moose into her mouth, she swallowed before continuing. "What the hell is wrong with you these days anyway. Frankly you have been annoying and unbearable, even more than usual. If that's even possible. You can't stand sharing me with anyone else can you? But yet you get to constantly ditch me for Liam and I don't get to have anything? How long before you had you lips all over Liam? How long before you had sex?"
Amy was met with a wall of silence.
"Exactly. It's my time now, if you don't like it you know where the door is." Amy turned and pointed to the door all the way at the back of the canteen.
"I'm just saying..."
Amy held her hand up and stopped Karma in her tracks before getting up and leaving the canteen.
"Thank you for inviting Reagan Mom, I know how hard this has to be for you." Amy said setting the table. She had been fiddling with it for the last ten minutes. Amy knew Reagan wouldn't care if the plates weren't facing the same direction or if she placed the knives and spoons in the wrong place but she still couldn't stop trying to make everything perfect.
"Honey, it's not hard for me. How can it be when I see how happy she makes you?" Farrah replied reaching out to give Amy's shoulder a little squeeze before heading back toward the kitchen. "Also I think your table setting skills are perfectly fine Amy." Farrah called.
Amy's eyes were watery as she continued fiddling with the plates and cutlery.
"You're trying too hard." Jack decided when Reagan changed for what seemed like the tenth time.
"I just want things to be perfect." Reagan sighed, putting together another outfit.
"If there is one thing I know it's that meeting the parents is never perfect. When I met my boyfriends family his brothers got into a fist fight at the dinner table." Jack laughed.
"Okay, that is crazy." Reagan laughed back feeling much better now. "What did you wear? Should I go casual, formal or semi formal? Amy's Mom is definitely the southern belle type. Should I wear the outfit I wore the day me and Amy first had sex? That would be pretty funny." Reagan pondered.
"Don't do that. You don't want to make Amy nervous, it could throw her off," Jack warned.
"No, what will throw her off is me finger fucking her under the table and then dipping my fingers in the mashed potatoes" Reagan laughed. "I'm joking!" Reagan insisted when she was met with an unamused gaze from Jack.
"Look, I think you should go casual," Jack decided making her way over to Reagan's wardrobe. "Here, leggings, simple jumper, and those black pumas you hardly wear, those frilly socks you wear sometimes. Those are cute. And then a shit ton of those thin rings you have. Sorted."
"That's it. That's the outfit I can feel it!" Reagan nodded excitedly.
"We'll see." Jack sighed with an exaggerated eye roll, a hint of a smile on her lips.
Amy ran to the door when straight into Reagan's arms when she heard the door knock.
"Hey baby." Amy mumbled her face buried in Reagan's neck.
"Hi." Reagan smiled gripping the bottle of wine in her hand. "Okay, your Mom is watching." Reagan laughed peering over Amy's shoulder.
"Oh, sorry." Amy said throwing a quick glance behind her.
"I bought this, Jack said it would be a good idea." Reagan said waving the bottle in front of Amy's face.
"My Mom loves red wine. Good choice." Amy grinned before ushering Reagan inside.
"Hello Reagan." Farrah smiled eyeing the bottle in Reagan's hand. "Are you old enough to drink that?"
"Hello Mrs Cooper, actually I'm not. This is for you." Reagan said extending the bottle toward Farrah.
"Thank you! That's so nice of you." Farrah hummed checking the label. "Good choice," she muttered to herself before heading toward the kitchen.
"Nice." Amy nodded impressed with Reagan's progress so far.
"That was okay right?" Reagan asked curiously.
"That was great and you look super cute by the way," Amy said guiding Reagan toward her seat, hand around her waist.
"So, what do you do?" Farrah asked while passing the mashed potatoes to Lauren. Lauren and Bruce had joined the dinner table by then and the chatter around the table was flowing nicely.
"I cater and then DJ on the side." Reagan answered waiting politely for her turn.
"Oh, a working girl. Maybe you can teach Amy some sort of work ethic." Farrah smiled turning her attention toward Amy.
Amy groaned but her heart wasn't in it. This dinner was going really well and if she had to take a little ribbing from her mother then she was absolutely fine with that.
"Did you go to college?" Farrah continued.
"I did. Graduated high school at 16 then went to community college."
"Wait how old are you?" Farrah interrupted.
"19..." Reagan responded tentatively. Farrah nodded at Reagan to continue evidently pleased with the answer she had gotten.
"Yeah, so I went to a community college and got a bachelor degree in music production." Reagan explained.
Amy raised her eyebrows in surprise, "How did I not know that?"
Reagan laughed a little, more at the mashed potatoes that reminded her of what she had said to Jack about them just earlier that day. "You didn't ask and it didn't come up naturally. Besides, how else would I impress your family huh?" Reagan asked wiggling her eyebrows.
The occupants at the table laughed and Amy shot a proud smile at Reagan before reaching for her hand under the table.
Everyone's attention turned toward the door when they heard it knocking.
"I'll get it!" Amy answered enthusiastically.
"Karma? What the heck are you doing?" Amy hissed stepping outside. She took a step back inside and called out to the table. "It's Karma, I'll be back in a second." Amy was talking more to Reagan than anyone else and she smiled apologetically at Reagan to prove her point.
"I've come over to have dinner." Karma replied matter-of-factly.
"Why? I told you that I was having dinner with Reagan. A dinner that is going perfectly right now and I really want to get back to it!" Amy was speaking loudly now.
"It wouldn't have been a problem before." Karma shrugged.
"Yeah because before I wasn't bringing the girl I love to dinner!" Amy gasped exasperatingly.
"You loved me once."
Amy rolled her eyes. "That was over three months ago, and need I remind you that it was not reciprocated! But it doesn't matter anymore. I really need to get back now. Go home Karma."
Amy felt a tug at her arm and in a split second Karma had her mouth on Amy.
"I'm going to check on her." Reagan said excusing herself from the table and heading toward the front door.
"Hurry back. We have so much more to discuss!" Farrah called after Reagan.
Reagan hovered to the side of the front door watching Amy and Karma curiously. Amy was gesturing wildly and stepping closer to Karma every so often. Reagan wanted to call out to Amy to bring her back inside to the lovely bubble they had formed but she just couldn't stop staring.
Reagan breathed a sigh of relief when Amy finally turned to leave but then froze when Karma pulled Amy back and kissed her. Reagan waited a few seconds for Amy's reaction and turned on her heel and walked back inside when Amy didn't pull away. She probably should have left but Farrah had put so much effort into this meal and it would be rude to run off now.
"Is everything okay?" Farrah asked as she watched Reagan settle back down into her seat.
"Everything is fine. Actually, can I use your bathroom please?" Reagan asked standing as quick as she had sat.
"Yeah, sure. It's upstairs to the...you know where it is." Farrah waved dismissively.
Reagan's eyes quickly filled with tears and Lauren watched as Reagan climbed the stairs desperately swatting at them in vain.
It took Amy a few seconds to figure out what was happening before she pushed Karma off her violently. "What the fuck are you doing!?"
"Huh." Karma hummed thoughtfully.
"That's all you have to say!? You just kissed me Karma!" Amy pretty much yelled.
"I know and I thought it would slot everything into place. I've been feeling weird, you know. You and Reagan. I thought maybe it was because I was doing what you were doing, burying my feelings. And no offence but I don't feel anything. I thought I would but I don't. I guess I'm just jealous. Jealous of my best friends girlfriend taking her away from me."
Karma was laughing hysterically now. "It makes so much sense now! Jesus, how did I not realise this from the start."
"How is this funny? You came to my house with the intention of trying to ruin my relationship. That isn't funny. Go home Karma." Amy seethed, wiping her mouth, turning on her heel and storming back into the house.
"Reagan?" Lauren asked pressing her ear to the bathroom door, she was sure she could hear crying but she wasn't sure.
"I'll be done in a minute." Reagan sniffed trying to stop her voice from shaking.
"I know you're crying Reagan." Lauren sighed. "I'm coming in."
Lauren looked at Reagan her shoulders were slumped over the sink, her head bowed to avoid looking in the mirror.
"What happened?" Lauren asked stepping forward her hand hovering over Reagan's back unsure before landing firmly.
Reagan shook her head, "Nothing, PMS I think."
"Nice try." Lauren said dryly. "What really happened?"
Reagan straightened her back and Lauren's hand fell to her side. "Karma was outside and she and Amy were arguing, then she kissed Amy. I waited for longer than I should have when I saw that Amy wasn't doing anything to stop it. I should go home but I don't want to be rude." Reagan sniffed reaching for some toilet roll dabbing at her running make up.
"Listen, Karma is a bitch and Amy doesn't want her. Trust me. How much time does she spend with you? I barely see her these days. You have nothing to worry about, I swear." Lauren reassured.
"Well you are her sister -."
"Step sister," Lauren corrected.
"So you know her pretty well right? I'll take your word for it. You're right, I'm over reacting." Reagan nodded determinedly. "We should head back down now," Reagan smiled sadly.
Lauren shot her a reassuring smile back and headed downstairs.
"Are you okay?" Amy mouthed when Reagan returned to her seat.
Reagan nodded slightly before returning to her meal.
Amy narrowed her eyes sensing something was off, she looked over at Lauren who dropped her head and pretended to be interested in the table cloth. Something was wrong. Amy reached for Reagan's hand and she felt her flinch. Yep, something was definitely off.
Farrah picked up where she left off with Reagan and the conversation flowed freely when Reagan didn't have to think about what she had saw outside.
Dessert came and Farrah and Reagan were still chatting up a storm. Discussing music, the best places to eat and what the best hair style ever created. Reagan says something low maintenance, but Farrah argues that it should be high maintenance so that you will actually have to make an effort every single day which in turn will give you motivation to get more done.
Soon the conversation stilled and Reagan decided to call it a day.
"Thank you so much for having me Mrs Cooper, the food was delicious." Reagan said politely. "Can I help wash up?"
"No you are a guest in my house, you will not lift a finger! And please call me Farrah, you are welcome in my house anytime!" Farrah insisted.
"Thank you. Bye Farrah, Bye Lauren." Reagan flashed Lauren a grateful smile and slight nod before grabbing her jacket and heading toward the front door.
Amy rushed to catch up with Reagan at her truck.
"What, no kiss goodbye?" Amy joked.
Reagan shifted uncomfortably unsure of how to broach this subject. Reagan decided to just be upfront...well kind of. "What did Karma want earlier?"
"Oh." Amy said surprise evident in her voice. "She just wanted to know about some assignments. Homework stuff."
"And she couldn't call you, she had to come all the way here?" Reagan asked skeptically. She was trying to give Amy an out out but Amy seemed intent on digging herself deeper into a hole.
"Nah, you know Karma." Amy waved her hand dismissively.
"Actually I don't. I'll see you later Amy." Reagan sighed climbing into her truck and pulling away without a second look.
"I don't get it." Amy said as Lauren handed her a plater to rinse. "Everything was fine, we had a good time didn't we?" Amy was talking to herself more than anything but was kind of looking for input from Lauren. She wouldn't say it out loud but Amy respected Lauren's opinion.
"Did I do something wrong?" Amy asked looking directly at Lauren this time.
"Are you kidding me Amy?" Lauren scowled scrubbing at the plate in her hand more vigorously that necessary.
"What?" Amy asked naively. She honestly couldn't see where she had gone wrong.
"When you left to go and speak to Karma Reagan came outside a few minutes later." Lauren stated, purposefully avoiding looking at Amy.
"Yeah so?" Amy said frown etched onto her face.
Lauren turned to Amy and stared her down for a few seconds until the wheels started turning in Amy's head. Lauren could see it happening in real time. The confusion, the thinking process, the realisation and then the look of sheer panic.
"Oh shit."
"Yep."